Jones, John B. Jr. 1919-2013

JONES, EDWARDS, HALE, BROWN, HALFACRE

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 4/3/2013 at 10:19:55

John B. Jones Jr., 93, was born April 15, 1919, in Forney, Texas, to John B. Jones Sr. and Minnie Mae (Edwards) Jones. He was raised as a child in Forney and Plano, Texas. He died March 20, 2013, in Newton, Iowa.

He attended Wesley Junior College in Greenville, Texas, from 1937 to 1938. He then attended Oklahoma A&M in Stillwater and graduated in 1942 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He married Othel Lee Hale on Aug. 28, 1941, in Plano, Texas. It was a double wedding with his brother George and his wife, before a Justice of the Peace. Othel is now deceased, having passed away on Oct. 25, 2006, at the age of 84. John was raised in the Methodist Church. He renewed his faith in the Lord Jesus in the latter years of his life.

After college, he worked with the U.S. Bureau of Mines in Bartlesville, Okla. He enlisted in the United States Navy as an officer and retired as a Lt. JG. He is a World War II veteran. He will be laid to rest today appropriately with full military honors next to his wife at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Greeley, Colo.

He returned after the war to the Bureau of Mines and worked at Anvil Points in Western Colorado as chemical engineer with the experimental project of oil shale processing. In 1954, he moved to Denver and established Cameron and Jones Engineering. He furthered his engineering career in Brazil, working with Petrobrass, developing their oil shale industry. He spoke fluent Portuguese as a result. Subsequently, in 1960, he started his own company called DEI (Development Engineering, Inc.), which involved the invention of new technology to convert limestone to quick lime. In the early 1970s, John invented a new technology that created oil directly from oil shale rock. As a natural progression, a company called Paraho was created in Grand Junction, Colorado, that proved the viability of the Paraho oil shale retorting process. John secured 17 various oil companies to help fund the project to determine the economic feasibility of using shale oil. The Dept. of Defense tested the shale oil in jet fuel, gasoline, and diesel. The outcome was a success. Ultimately, John formed his last company called Jones and Associates, which focused on improving the limestone technology and used it in sugar beet processing. This is what brought him to the Greeley area. He held over 25 patents in his various industrial fields. He did not retire until age 87.

John was a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering, American Rifle Association, and Christian Broadcasting Network. He enjoyed the hobbies of carpentry and gardening. His rose bushes were always a source of pleasure and satisfaction to John. He was an avid storyteller. He enjoyed entertaining people and hosting parties. His keen sense of humor and positive attitude seemed to charm his many audiences.

Survivors include his daughter, Patricia Ann Brown and husband Philip of Deer Trail, Colo.; two sons, Donald Burnett Jones and wife Eilene of Newton, Iowa, and Kenneth Alan Jones and wife Cynthia of Raleigh, N.C.; a sister-in-law, Edna Hale of Westminster, Texas; five grandchildren, Chad Jones of Denver, Colo., Noelle Jones of Newton, Iowa, Timothy Halfacre of Westbrook, Maine, Brian Halfacre of Raleigh, N.C., and Elizabeth Jones of Newton; and 12 great-grandchildren, Caleb, Abigail, Ethan, Maximus, Madeline, Sheridan, Aurora, Carter, Garrett, Ethan, Elara and Lucas.

John was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Othel Lee Jones; John B. Jones Sr., his father; Minnie Mae, his mother; and George Jones, his brother.

Please visit www.stoddardsunset.com to sign online guestbook.~ The Newton (IA) Daily News Website.